What is IP?

IP stands for Internet Protocol. In rough
terms, it is a system for transmitting information from one place
in a network to another, without caring too much how it gets
there.

Originally developed by the American Defence Advanced Research
Project - DARPA - it was known as DARPANET and designed as a way to
transmit data across a network even if some of the points in the
network were unavailable (ie destroyed by enemy action!)

Your information is broken down into little chunks called
packets, each packet is given a destination address and sent on
it's way. The pieces may travel different routes to get to
the destination, but when they arrive, a higher level protocol the
Transport Control Protocol (TCP) reorders them into the data you
sent originally, hence TCPIP.

This is what happens when you email a friend, book a flight or
listen to music on the internet, millions of tiny packets of data
are being transmitted from one place to another.

The great thing about TCPIP is that it is a very low level
protocol, it dosent care what application layers sit above it, nor
what they do with the data, and most importantly it dosent care if
the system it is passing to is made by Apple or Microsoft. IP
is product independent, and as long as the device has an Ethernet
jack on it - it will communicate.

*An Australian company recently released a twitter link for
potplants, using IP as a transport control protocol, potplants can
tweet your phone if they are thirsty